


To Live Forever In a Field of Roses

by Kakushigo



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M, Gen, King Christopher Pike, Lord Gabriel Lorca, M/M, Royal Herbalist Paul Stamets, Royal Physician Hugh Culber, because it's my royalty AU and I said so, mostly about Piland, only for him to reappear, royal!AU, sometimes you fall for the hot general who helped you seize the throne, then he disappears for three years and you raise your daughter all alone, there's no transphobia or homophobia, thinking he's dead, trans!Chris Pike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:20:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22426108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakushigo/pseuds/Kakushigo
Summary: Three years ago, King Christopher Pike dethroned a tyrant and was crowned King of the Federation Lands.  Three years ago, Christopher's right hand general disappeared in the midst of the battle.  Seven months later, King Christopher welcomed the young Princess Hope Pike into the royal family and set up a morning period of three years, during which no royal may have a wedding and immediate members of the court wore black.  Those three years are finally coming to an end and Chris is going to have to face all those feelings he thought he buried in an empty tomb.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Leland/Christopher Pike, Original Universe Gabriel Lorca/OFC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	To Live Forever In a Field of Roses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dianano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianano/gifts).



> There are like three different versions of this that I wrote for you, Babey. Royalty AU ate my whole ass brain apparently. I hope you enjoy!

> If I must endure death  
>  Let it be for you  
>  If I must endure life  
>  Let it be beside you  
>  Whatever I am  
>  Is twice as much when with you  
>  I am your sword  
>  Your shield  
>  And you're my heart  
>  If you do not want it  
>  Then every breath I breath  
>  Is in vain  
>  But I will not tell you.  
>  Let me love you,  
>  Even if from a distance  
>  And let my last sight  
>  Be of you
> 
> -Recovered love letter from Prince Consort Leland of the Federation to King Christopher Pike

Today marks three years since General Leland has died and the end to the official mourning period for him. Those in the royal household are now free to marry again and to add color back into their wardrobe. It will be the first time Princess Hope Lucas Pike will be dressed in anything but black, and it’s just in time for her third birthday.

The capital city of Cestus is celebrating in rare form, the lamps are lit, lanterns have been thrown into the sky, and the very air itself seems to take on a charged form. Nearly everyone is celebrating, all except one. King Christopher Pike looks out his bedroom window at the hundreds of serenely floating lanterns passing by and feels only sorrow.

If someone had told Chris Pike years ago that he would one day be king over the Federation Lands, he would’ve laughed at you. If you’d told him he had uprooted a corrupt king in a civil war, made great strides for equality, and fallen in love, he probably would’ve laughed even harder. But it’s all true. And now that the mourning period for General Leland is over, his court will be even more insistent for his marriage, to give the princess another parent. Chris isn’t sure his heart can bear it.

A knock on the door breaks Chris from his thoughts and he turns from the window. “Enter.” He commands. He had asked to be left alone tonight and given most of his guards the night off to spend with his family. All that is left in the castle are his most loyal, those who served beside him during battle and take their promise to their dead general to protect King Chris most seriously. 

The guard bows low to Chris. “My King, we’ve intercepted a man hanging around the princess’s rooms and detained him. What would you like us to do with him?”

Not even now is there any peace for a king. “Have him wait for me in the main hall.” As a king, Chris should change into formal robes for such occasions, but he won’t. “Wake Lord Lorca as well. We will pass judgement.” Possibly the only man more protective of the children of court then Chris was Lord Lorca, especially after the complications his wife had suffered bringing their son into this world.

”Of course, your majesty.” The guard replies, rising from his bow and retreating. As soon as he’s gone, Chris leaves the tower, heading right towards the princess’s rooms. The royal physician is already there, holding and cooing over the princess. He bows his head to Chris in greeting and hands Princess Hope over. The young princess is perfectly capable of walking and talking, but Chris will continue to hold her as long as he’s able. She’s the last bit of Leland he has left, after all.

It’s quite possible that the man skulking about the castle had no bad intentions, but Chris can’t rest easy knowing his daughter might be in danger. How had they even gotten in? His guards are impeccable, even a skeleton crew of them should have been more then sufficient. 

"She's unharmed, right?" Chris implores Lord Culber, who nods.

"Yes, your Majesty," Hugh confirms. "My husband was sitting with her when he heard the commotion with the guards. He asked me to take his position by her side while he tended to the man."

Lord Stamets was not the healer his husband was, but he was an expert in all sorts of plants and their natural poisons. It would be unusual for him to insist to treat someone rather then leaving the healing arts in his husband's capable hands. Apparently, the confusion is evident on his face because Hugh smiles at him and explains, "I could do nothing for the man- all his injuries were old but he knew Paul's name, so Paul went with him to see if he could extract anymore information before you and Lord Lorca rendered your judgement."

"Am I so transparent in who I would summon?" Chris asks, kissing Hope's head. She gives a sleepy mumble, burying her head in Chris's shoulder.

Hugh smiles at the two of them. "It's not so bad, your Majesty, for it to be well known that you and Lord Lorca share a friendship especially over your children. They were very nearly born under the same star and Lady Hewell likewise adores the princess as though she is their own daughter. Everyone knows the Lorcas leave little Adam here when they're unwell and worry for his delicate health." Every word Hugh says is true, but Chris worries he's become so transparent that his daughter may be in danger. If people know who he would call to be by his side in the dead of night to cast judgement on a man who breaks into the royal household, what else is commonly known? Does it put his daughter in danger in anyways? Chris's heart longs for Leland, who always had a head for these things more then Chris. Hope begins to fuss and Chris is distracted by that, eventually being told her gums hurt and Hugh gives her something to chew on to help relieve the pain.

That is how he appears in Grand Hall, still dressed in evening clothes and holding his sleepy daughter close. Lord Lorca, on the other hand, is dressed in winter furs and has the flush of drink about his cheek- Chris must have pulled him from a private celebration and resolves to make it up to Lady Hewell. Lord Lorca inclines his head to Chris, saved from a full bow by years of friendship and the late hour. Six guards are already in the throne room and two more come in with Chris, his ever present shadows. Chris sweeps up to the throne and sits down with Hope on his lap. Her eyes immediately meet Gabriel's and she waves.

"Hi, Uncle Gabe!" She greets cheerfully, apparently much more aware then earlier. Lord Lorca inclines his head to her indulgently, smiling slightly. For all the man presents a stubborn, unsmiling face to the court, he's a giant softie for small children and animals. And Lady Hewell.

Settled in his throne, Chris motions to the guards, who relay the message to more guards, who come through the main doors half-carrying, half dragging a man with them. Behind those guards is a man so pale he nearly glows- Lord Stamets. Suddenly, Chris feels much more appropriately dressed, for he is in evening wear but not sleep wear, unlike Lord Stamets. He must have just stopped by to say goodnight to the Princess when everything happened. 

Lord Stamets doesn't bother with a bow as he mounts the steps to Chris and leans in to whisper in the king's ear. "I don't know who he is, Chris, but he knows the royal court very well. And he didn't feel the need to hide it. He also said you should have on more guard on your skeleton crew, there were gaps in your security that one more man would've fixed." Piece said, Lord Stamets steps off to the side. Lord Lorca gives him a small glare for his impropriety, but among his inner court, Chris has never cared if they keep to court protocol perfectly. And Lord Stamets is one of the few who understands the condition Chris suffers from- Lord Hugh is, perhaps, one of the few people capable of treating their condition and he does so with utmost delicacy. He's also the one who handles the sheets on the rare occasion Chris still bleeds.

The guards drop the man right in front of the throne and he collapses like a puppet with their strings cut. Slowly, he puts himself in order and goes from loosely slumped over to a bow- both knees tucked under his chest, face down to the ground, and hands, palm down, ever so slightly in front of his face. Princess Hope goes from making faces at Lord Lorca to staring at the man. She doesn't seem to be afraid, but Chris holds her closely all the same. The hall is quiet and dimly lit- only every other brazier burns and the only people in it are the twelve guards, two lords, Princess Hope, the bowing man, and Chris himself.

If it were a less pressing occasion, Chris might take the time to enjoy the quiet. It's rare that this hall is used without hundreds of people pressed into it, but Hope's safety is paramount. 

"You have been found breaking and entering the royal quarters." Chris says, aware of the charges. "Since this is unlikely to be a mistake, the charge is treason which carries the death penalty." Chris didn't like the death penalty, but it was necessary. "What do you have to say in your defense." The man said nothing and made no move at all. After waiting for an answer for what seemed like minutes, one of the guards strode over, pulled their glove off, and testing the prostrated man's pulse. 

"He's still alive, your majesty." The guard confirms, going to slide his glove back on. A hand stops him and all eleven other guards draw their swords. Lord Lorca does as well, stepping close to Chris as Chris protects Hope. The man's grip is apparently a lot stronger then his frail fingers imply, since the guard winces.

"Unhand him at once." Chris orders the man, not expecting any actual response. It's a great surprised to everyone when, as soon as Chris gives the order, the man immediately lets go of the guard, who steps away. There's now a large empty area between all the guards and the man. "Well?" Chris asks, "Aren't you going to say anything in your defense?" For a second, it looks like the man is about to have no reply at all- then Chris catches a movement. The man is shaking his head. Chris sighs quietly. This isn't how this night was supposed to go at all. "Very well, on your feet." Despite his graceless collapse earlier, the man gets to his feet easily enough. His clothes are tatters of dark blue and greys- Leland had always said black was too deep to truly blend with shadows and that a less severe color was better- but he doesn't look up at the throne. His legs are shaking and Chris finds himself wondering what has the man so fatigued. Chris couldn't be sure what made him utter his last order, but he'll always be glad he did. "Look at me." And the man looks right at Chris, despite Lord Lorca between them. 

Chris is humble enough to admit there are still mysteries in this world he cannot even begin to fathom, but there are certain things that he does know, beyond a shadow of a doubt. One of these things is how Leland’s face looks. It doesn’t matter that scars mar it now, twisting and distorting the flesh. It doesn’t matter that his eyes are an unseeing, milky white- this is Leland. This is Chris’s Leland, father of Hope.

It’s been three, long and lonely years, but that amount of time was not enough to wash away Chris’s memories. “Leland…” he breathes, descending from the dais. Lord Lorca’s eyes widen in surprise as the name passes Chris’s lips.

Hope recognizes the name too, Chris had told her stories of her other father. "Papa?" Hope calls out. Leland's hands clench, but he neither confirms nor denies the name.

"What happened to you?" Chris demands. Where has the man been these three years? Who had injured him? Why had he not come home until now? The guards tried to stop Chris, but he pushes past them. They part for him easily, trained to obey him.

With Hope in one arm, Chris reaches up to touch Leland's face- the man flinches back at first, but before Chris can withdraw the hand, Leland is back, pressing his cheek into it. Hugh had said the man's injuries were old, hadn't he? And Chris would have known if Leland was injured before or during the war, so these could be as old as three years. 

"Your Majesty," Leland starts, formal as every and Chris cannot bear it. Though it's obvious why Leland didn't speak earlier- Chris would've recognized Leland's voice, even before his face. It's hoarser then normal, but the same baritone Chris woke up for five years during the civil war.

"Use my name." Chris demands. 

"Your Majesty, King Christopher Richard Pike," Leland starts again, even further from what Chris wants.

"Leland," Chris says, proud he manages to keep his voice from breaking, "we've never needed titles between us. Call me Chris."

This visibly startles Leland and Chris feels a sudden, violent urge to break something. Preferably whatever had injured Leland. "Chris," Leland starts for a third time, though this time his voice is softer then before, "what I've done is unforgivable." Chris doubts that. He'd forgive Leland pretty much anything, even coming here to kill Chris. "I accept my punishment. The price for treason is death." 

Chris's mind scrambles to find an excuse for why Leland feels he's committed treason. There's nothing he can come up with. "What treason did you commit?" Chris finally asks. Maybe it was something during the war, Chris is sure that is excusable. Maybe it was before the war, and then it was treason against the asshole, King Berman, and no one would care about that at all.

"Entering the royal household without permission." Leland answers immediately. Chris blinks, trying to figure out if that's a joke. It doesn't seem like one. Leland is perfectly capable of telling jokes (Chris will never look at carrots the same way), but he wouldn't joke about his own life like that. Not in front of guards... It's possible that Leland doesn't know how many guards there are, Chris isn't sure if Leland can actually see or not. It certainly doesn't look like he can- he'll ask Hugh about it later. 

Just in case it's not a joke though, Chris clears that up any misconception immediately. "The only reason you didn't have permission is because I didn't know you were alive. I'm not going to forbid you from visiting our daughter." Chris doesn't even care if Leland doesn't love him anymore (that's a lie, the idea of Leland falling out of love with him is _painful_ , but it's better then Leland being dead), he'd never be so cruel as to forbid Leland access to Hope.

Leland takes a deep breath and Chris can hear how it wavers at points, leading him to worry about Leland's lungs. "Our daughter?"

Leland hadn't known. Of course Leland hadn't known! Chris hadn't figured it out until weeks into his kingship when Leland was already presumed dead. "Our daughter." Chris confirms. Named Hope, for she embodied the hope of a nation and the private hope of one father for the safety of the other. Chris takes one of Leland's hands (bone thin- Leland hasn't been eating good...not that army rations were all that good either, but Leland has lost weight) and puts it on Hope's shoulder. 

Hope grabs onto it immediately and gives Leland a smile. "Papa!" Smart girl, just like Leland. 

A wretched sound emanates from Leland and for a second, Chris worries a guard has gotten sword happy and stabbed him, but the tears running down Leland's face tell a different story. Leland steps forward and wraps his arms around both of them- Chris and Hope alike, crying into Chris's shoulder. It's awkward, considering Chris's one arm is pinned quite well and the other can only pat Leland's hip, but Chris wouldn't trade it, trade Leland, for the world.

He comes back to himself minutes later when Lord Lorca clears his throat. "I'll have the cooks bring something from the feast and draw a warm bath for General Leland," Gabriel says. "And Lord Stamets will bring his husband to attend to the General." Chris doesn't have to see them to know the glare off probably going on between the two men who only get along because their respective partners do, thanks to an age old argument over whether or not it's permissible to use poison on your enemies.

"Thank you," Chris tells him sincerely, clinging as best he can to Leland. He's not letting go of Leland ever again, not after just getting him back. There will be time, later, to extract Leland's story- why he went missing for three years and why he came back, but for now, they stand surrounded by Chris's guards while they cling to each other. It should be awkward, but it's not.

**Author's Note:**

> Epilogue: They get married, Hope gets a few younger siblings. Leland is called Prince Consort Leland & Chris keeps spoiling him. Hope ends up engaged to Adam and suddenly, Leland and Lord Lorca are at odds until there's grandkids which have both of them wrapped around their little fingers. (Leland is blind, this does not stop him from training the guards and whipping them into shape. Needless to say, the next person to get that close to the Princess's rooms without permission is killed on sight.)


End file.
